Windsor Castle

The Castle That Has Been Continuously Occupied for Over Nine Hundred Years

Windsor Castle was begun by William the Conqueror around 1070 as a motte-and-bailey fortification to control the Thames valley west of London. Every subsequent English or British monarch has either lived in it, modified it, or used it in some official capacity. The current structure contains elements added across nine centuries, from Norman stone towers to Victorian state apartments to the modern restoration work carried out after a fire in 1992 destroyed or seriously damaged 115 rooms. The fire started in the Queen’s Private Chapel and took 225 firefighters to extinguish. Restoration was completed in 1997 at a cost of roughly 37 million pounds, partly funded by opening Buckingham Palace to paid summer visitors for the first time.

This is the largest occupied castle in the world, and it remains a working royal residence: the Royal Standard flies over the Round Tower when the monarch is in residence, and the changing of the guard ceremony still takes place in the Lower Ward. Both facts matter for your visit.

Tickets and Opening Hours

Admission in 2026 costs 32 pounds for adults and 16 pounds for visitors under 18, with children under 5 admitted free. Booking online in advance saves 4 pounds per adult and is strongly recommended: the booking system on the Royal Collection Trust website (rct.uk) issues timed entry slots, and the castle’s most popular periods sell out days ahead. On-the-day tickets cost 36 pounds for adults.

The castle opens at 10:00 AM daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when it is closed. Closing time is 5:15 PM from March through October (last admission 4:15 PM) and 4:15 PM from November through February (last admission 3:15 PM). From 16 July to 13 September 2026, the newly opened Venus Garden beneath the castle’s east facade is included in the standard admission ticket.

Allow at minimum three hours for a thorough visit. The State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, and the grounds each take meaningful time. Doing all four in under two hours is possible but unsatisfying.

St. George’s Chapel

The chapel, built between 1475 and 1528 under Edward IV and Henry VII, is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter, founded by Edward III in 1348 and still one of the highest honours in the British honours system. The fan vaulting in the nave is among the finest examples in England. Eleven monarchs are buried here, including Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Charles I (whose severed head was reattached to his body for burial), and, since 2022, Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II is interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, a side chapel she commissioned in 1962 for the burial of herself, her husband, and close family. She paid for its construction personally. She is buried alongside her husband Prince Philip, her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret. The memorial chapel is a few steps off the main nave and is accessible on a standard ticket.

St. George’s Chapel closes to visitors on Sundays, when it is in use for services.

The Changing of the Guard

The Guard ceremony at Windsor takes place in the Lower Ward of the castle. In April, May, June, and July, it occurs daily except Sundays. From August onward, it runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The new guard steps off from Victoria Barracks at around 10:45 AM and the ceremony concludes around 11:45 AM.

The march of the guards along Windsor High Street to the castle is free to watch from the street, no ticket required. The intersection of Castle Hill and the High Street is the best public vantage point. To watch the ceremony inside the Lower Ward, you need a valid castle ticket and should aim to be through security by 10:00 AM at the latest. The ceremony can be cancelled at short notice in poor weather; check the Household Division website the morning of your visit for confirmation.

Getting There from London

Two train routes serve Windsor from London. From London Paddington, trains run two to three times per hour and reach Windsor Central station (directly beneath the castle walls) in around 30 minutes, with a change at Slough. From London Waterloo, a direct service runs every 30 minutes to Windsor and Eton Riverside, taking around 50 minutes. Both stations are a few minutes’ walk from the castle entrance.

A critical practical note: Windsor is outside the London fare zones. Oyster cards, contactless payment, and Travelcards are not valid beyond the zone boundaries. You must buy a separate return ticket from London to Windsor before you travel. This catches a significant number of first-time visitors at the barrier. Return fares from London run around 12 to 15 pounds depending on time of day.

From Heathrow Airport, Windsor is about 25 minutes by direct bus (First Bus route 77), which makes it a practical final-day option for visitors flying home from Heathrow.

What Else Windsor Contains

The Long Walk, an almost perfectly straight avenue of trees extending roughly three miles from the castle gates to the equestrian statue of George III known as the Copper Horse, is free to walk at any time and gives the best external view of the castle from a distance. Windsor Great Park surrounds the walk and contains mature woodland, deer herds, and the Savill Garden, a separate paid attraction with one of the best collection of rhododendrons in England.

Eton College, a ten-minute walk across the Thames via Windsor Bridge, is worth seeing even if you cannot enter the main buildings. Founded in 1440 by Henry VI, it has educated 20 British prime ministers and a disproportionate number of the people who have run British institutions since the 19th century. The High Street between the college and the bridge has several good bakeries and coffee shops that are considerably cheaper than the establishments immediately adjacent to the castle entrance.

Where to Eat and Stay

The Ivy Windsor Brasserie on Thames Street serves contemporary British and European food in a comfortable setting, with main courses around 18 to 28 pounds. It is one of the better options near the castle for a sit-down lunch.

Sir Christopher Wren Hotel on Thames Street overlooks the river and is the most scenically positioned hotel in Windsor. Rooms in summer typically start around 180 pounds per night. The Macdonald Windsor Hotel on High Street is slightly more affordable and is within a couple of minutes’ walk of the castle entrance.

For a day trip from London without an overnight, the most efficient structure is: morning train from Paddington, arrive at Windsor Central for 10:00 AM, catch the guard ceremony, visit the castle through the afternoon, walk the Long Walk before returning. That fills a full day comfortably and costs relatively little beyond the admission ticket and the train fare.